Winch construction



1962 M. D. NELSON ETAL 3,051,446

WINCH CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 14, 1959 a zl /NVE N TORS WQmaZd/Z k,

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,051,446 WINCH CDNSTRUCTION Marvin D. Nelson and Donald N. Cole, Hastings, Nehru, assignors to Dutton-Lainson Company, Hastings, Nehru, a corporation of Nebraska Filed Dec. 14, B59, Ser. No. 859,352 7 Claims. (Cl. 254-186) The present invention rel-ates to a winch construction for lifting and hauling various loads. Although we have herein shown and described a winch of the manually operable type, it will be manifest that various of the novel constructional features thereof could be properly incorporated in a power operated winch.

One of the principal objects of our invention is to provide an improved winch having a novel form of latching means which is capable of quick and easy adjustment so as to permit selective latching of the winding drum against rotation in either direction.

Another object is to provide an improved winch construction having a novel form of drum latching means which is capable of quick and easy adjustment to a neutral or intermediate position for permitting free rotation of the drum in either direction.

A further object is to provide an improved winch construction having a novel arrangement of means for securing the terminal portion of the cable or rope to the winding drum in a manner so as to make it possible to properly space successive convolutions of the cable or rope in side-by-side relation on the winding drum.

Still another object is to provide, in a winch construction, a novel form of means for securing the terminal portion of a cable or rope to the winding drum in a manner so as to substantially eliminate improper build-up of the cable or rope on the hub of the drum, and thereby reducing wear of the cable or rope which occurs upon contact with the outer peripheral portion of the flanges of the drum and other parts of the winch mechanism; the novel form of securing means further serving to greatly reduce build-up of friction in unwind-ing the cable or rope off of the drum by substantially eliminating partial overlapping of successive convolutions of the cable or rope.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved winch construction of simple design and which is eflicient in use and capable of being economically manufactured.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an end elevational view of the winch embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, staggered sectional view, taken substantially a indicated at lines 22 on FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the latching mechanism, on a reduced scale, taken as indicated at line 3-3 on FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view of the construction for securing the latching means in a neutral or intermediate position, and taken substantially as indicated at line 44 on FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view,

ice

showing the connection of a torsion spring to the latching pawl, taken as indicated at line 55 on FIGURE 1.

The improved winch con-struction, as represented in the drawing, includes a main frame 10, in the nature of a sheet metal stamping, and of generally U-shaped form, having a base 11, and a pair of upstanding side walls 12 and 14. Interconnect-ing the two side walls 12 and 14 is an axle 15, in the nature of a bolt having a nut 16 threaded on one end. Mounted for free rotation on the axle is a Winding drum, indicated generally at 18, comprising a hub portion '19, and a pair of end discs 20 and 21, mounted on a pair of spaced apart shoulders 23 and 24 of said hub portion 19, and brazed thereto. The end discs are preferably formed as sheet metal starnpings and, for economy, may be of identical form. The discs each have their outer edges terminating in an outwardly extending peripheral flange 20a and 21a, respectively. The dimension of the flange 21a is such as to provide a shallow, relatively large, cup-shaped form in which is mounted a ring gear 26. The ring gear, for purposes of economy, is formed as a laminate made of sheet metal, and the various laminations are secured together in any convenient manner, such as by riveting. The outer peripheral portion of the ring gear is brazed to the inner surf-ace of the flange 21a in a position so that the outer face of the gear is substantially flush with the outer edge of the flange 21a. Spaced inwardly from the flange 21a of the disc 21 is an outwardly extending annular offset 21b, against which the inner face of the ring gear is seated soas to'provide clearance between the outer surface of the wall of the disc 21, and latching means to be hereinafter described; and, in addition, to assure proper positioning of the outer edge of the gear ring away from the rounded corner formed by the bent-over flange 21a. The outer edge of each disc, at the junction of the main wall with the peripheral flange, is of rounded contour, as seen in FIGURE 2 of the drawing, so as to reduce wear and friction of the cable or rope during process of winding and unwinding, which frequently occurs when the end discs terminate in a sharp corner or edge and the cable or rope is directed at an angle to the drum.

The end disc 20 is formed with an opening 27, of a size for accommodating therethrough the terminal portion of a cable or rope, as indicated at 28. Preferably, the inner edge of the opening 27, closest to the axis of the drum, is located substantially in alignment with the outer surface of the hub portion 19 of the drum. Spaced circumferentially from the opening 27 is a clamping device for the terminal portion of the cable or rope. The clamping device includes a bolt 30', having a polygonal shaped shank portion 31, seated in a correspondingly formed opening in the disc 20, to preclude rotation of the bolt in mounted position. Mounted on the bolt is a clamp plate 33, having a bent portion 330, for engaging against the outer surface of the disc 20; and the opposite end of the clamp plate having a bent portion 33b, formed to engage the terminal portion of the cable or rope, for firmly securing it to the disc 20. The location of the clamping means with respect to the opening 27 preferably is such that a portion of the cable or rope is caused to Wrap around and firmly contact the reduced portion of the hub 19, and thereby add to the friction grip for securely holding the terminal portion of the rope with respect to the disc 20. As shown, the

clamp plate 38 is located diametrically opposite the opening 27. By virtue of this construction, the first wrap-around or convolution of the cable or rope on the hub portion is in direct contact therewith, so that it is possible to properly space sucessive convolutions of the cable or rope along the hub in side-by-side relation. This novel form of cable securing means makes it possible to wind the maximum length of cable or rope onto the drum because of the elimination of improper build-up of the cable or rope at either side or middle of the drum. When improper build-up of the cable or rope occurs, the cable or rope at one side or the middle of the drum may project beyond the outside diameter of the flanges of the drum, which sometimes causes the cable or rope to be dragged against the uoter surface of the drum flanges, or over the mounting frame, causing excessive wear, as well as imposing additional loads on the cable or rope during operation of the winch. This novel construction also tends to eliminate build-up of friction in winding and unwinding of adjacent convolutions of the cable or rope by substantially eliminating partial overlapping of one convolution of the cable or rope on another.

Meshing with the gear ring 26, is a driving pinion 36 which also, as shown, is of laminated form, and is mounted on a drive shaft 37, journaled in a bearing 38, which is mounted in a boss or hub 14d brazed to the upstanding leg 14 of the frame, as seen in FIGURE 2 of the drawing. The outer end of the shaft 37 is pro vided with flattened surfaces 37a for the accommodation of a crank arm 39, having a correspondingly shaped opening therein-and the crank arm being secured on the shaft by a nut 40, threaded on the outer end thereof. Attached to the outer end of the crank arm 39 is a handle 39a, by virtue of which the shaft 37 may be rotated and, through the medium of the driving pinion which engages the gear ring 26, imparts rotation to the Winding drum 18. It is to be understood that for Winch constructions for heavier loads, additional gearing may be interposed between the rotatable crank arm 39 and the driving pinion 66, so as to obtain a desired mechanical advantage.

Mounted on the reduced end 19a of the hub portion 19, between a pair of washers 42, is a double hook latch member :44, which is mounted co-axially with the axle 15, as seen in FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawing. The latch member includes a pair of oppositely disposed hook portions *44a and 44b, which are so dimensioned as to provide selective co-operative engagement with and meshing between the teeth of the driving pinion 36. The latch member is provided with an outwardly extending lug 44c constituting a finger engaging portion for manipulation of the latch to any of three positions of adjustment, as will hereinafter be described.

As seen in FIGURE 3 of the drawing, the latch member is shown in a neutral or intermediate position of adjustment, out of engagement with the driving pinion 36, so that the winding drum 18 is free to rotate in either direction. The latch member is movable to either of two other positions of adjustment, as indicated at A and B respectively, in dot-and-dash outline, in which the hook portions 44a or 4411 respectively, are in engagement with the driving pinion. The latch member is re leasably secured in any of its three positions of adjustment by means of a torsion spring 46, having a coiled portion 46a and a pair of diverging legs 46b and 460. The end of the 46b is bent at an angle and extends through an opening 14a of the upright leg 14 of the main frame, as seen in FIGURES 1 and 3 of the drawing. The outer end of the leg 460 of the torsion spring terminates in a bent portion 46d extending freely through an opening 44d in the latching pawl, and continuing into a terminal portion 462 which abuts against the outer edge of said opening 44d of the pawl, as seen in FIG- URE 5 of the drawing. The length of the bent portion 44d desirably is less than the thickness of the pawl,

adjacent said opening 44d, so as to insure urging the other leg 46b of the torsion spring firmly against the inner surface of the upright leg 14 of the frame. The inner surface of the upright leg 14 of the frame is stamped so as to provide a pair of spaced apart, inclined surfaces 14b, between which is provided a trough or recess 140, as seen in FIGURE 4. The torsion spring 46 is preferably designed so that the legs 46b and 46c are yieldingly urged apart, both in circumferential direction, as well as in a direction transverse to the axis of its coil.

When the latch member 44 is moved from either position, as indicated in dot-and-dash outline at A and B in FIGURE 3, the leg 460 of the torsion spring is caused to ride up one of the inclines 14b, and said leg of the spring may be caused to rest or seat in the groove 140, at Which position the latch member is releasably secured in the neutral or intermediate position, as seen in FIGURE 3, with both of the hook portions 44a and 44b out of operative relation with the driving pinion 36. In this position of adjustment, both of the end portions of the legs 46b and 46c, i.e. in the zones of rocking contact, are in alignment with the axis of the pivot of the pawl 44. The latch member may be quickly and easily moved to any three of the aforesaid positions of adjustment by manipulating the finger piece 440, and provides flexibility in the use of the winch, such as to take care of situations where it may be desirable to reverse the rotation of the winding drum without the necessity of remounting of the winch or readjustment of parts thereof.

Because of side or axial pressure exerted on the legs of the spring, in addition to rotative pressure exerted on the pawl, it will be observed that when the pawl is moved toward the neutral or intermediate position, the leg 460 of the spring is urged firmly against the adjacent surface of the upstanding leg 14 of the frame, and further movement of the pawl causes said leg to ride up one of the cam slopes 14b with increased pressure until said leg of the spring snaps into the seat 14c in the side wall of the leg of the frame, at which time it will firmly and releasably secure the latching pawl in the neutral or intermediate position. From this position the pawl may be moved in either direction so as to cause it to asume either position indicated at A or B in FIGURE 3 of the drawing. The particular position of adjustment that is to be assumed by the adjustment of the latching pawl is determined by the particular direction that it is desired to rotate the Winding drum, and the drum being held by one of the hook portions from rotation in the opposite direction.

As may be seen in FIGURE 1 of the drawing, the latching pawl 44 is adjusted so that its hook portion 44b is in engagement with the teeth of the driving pinion 36, which will permit the crank arm 39 to rotate the driving pinion and the winding drum in a clockwise direction, While positively precluding rotation thereof in the opposite direction. To reverse this operation merely necessitates adjusting the latching pawl 44, so that the hook portion 44:: is in mesh with the driving pinion, and in which case the crank arm may be operated to rotate the winding drum in counter-clockwise direction, but precludes rotation thereof in the opposite direction.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the winch may be adjusted to permit winding of the cable or rope onto the winding drum in either direction, during which time the latching pawl will serve to preclude the winding drum against reverse rotation while the cable is under load. Wherever it is desired to permit free, unrestricted pay-out of the cable or rope, the latch means merely needs be adjusted to the neutral or intermediate position, as seen in full lines in FIGURE 3 of the draw- Although we have herein shown and described a certain preferred embodiment of our invention, manifestly it is capable of modification and rearrangement without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. We do not,

therefore, Wish to be understood as limiting this invention to the precise embodiment herein disclosed, except as we may be so limited by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a winch, a frame having an axle mounted thereon, a rope drum mounted on said axle, gearing at one end of the drum for rotating it about the axis of the axle, said gearing including a ring gear attached to said drum and a driving pinion meshing with said gear, a latching pawl having a pair of spaced hook portions for separate engagement with the teeth of the pinion, said pawl being pivotally mounted on the axis of the axle, manually engageable means connected to the pawl for selectively moving either hook portion into and out of operative engagement with said pinion, and means for releasably securing the latching pawl in a neutral intermediate position of adjustment with both hook portions positioned out of operative engagement with said pinion.

2. In a winch, a frame having an axle mounted thereon, a rope drum mounted on said axle, gearing at one end of the drum for rotating it about the axis of the axle, said gearing including a ring gear attached to said drum and a driving pinion meshing with said gear, a latching pawl having a pair of spaced hook portions for separate engagement with the teeth of the pinion, said pawl being pivotally mounted on an axis parallel to the axis of the axle, manually engageable means connected to the pawl for selectively moving either hook portion into and out of operative engagement with said pinion, and means for releasably securing the latching pawl in a neutral intermediate position of adjustment with both hook portions positioned out of operative engagement with said pinion, said last mentioned means comprising a coiled tension spring having one leg connected to the frame and the other leg connected to said pawl.

3. In a winch, a frame having an axle mounted thereon, a rope drum mounted on said axle, gearing at one end of the drum for rotating it about the axis of the axle, said gearing including a ring gear attached to said drum and a driving pinion meshing with said gear, a latching pawl having a pair of spaced hook portions for separate engagement with the teeth of the pinion, said pawl being pivotally mounted on an axis parallel to the axis of said pinion, manually engageable means connected to the pawl for selectively moving either hook portion into and out of operative engagement with said pinion, means for releasably securing the latching pawl in a neutral intermediate position of adjustment with both hook portions positioned out of operative engagement with said pinion, said last mentioned means comprising a coiled tension spring having one leg connected to the frame and the other leg connected to said pawl, said legs being also biased apart in a direction parallel to the axis of the coil thereof, and seat means on the frame adapted to coact with one leg of the spring, said seat means being positioned so as to coact with and engage said one leg when the pawl assumes a neutral intermediate position of adjustment.

4. In a winch, a frame having an axle mounted thereon, a rope drum mounted on said axle, gearing at one end of the drum for rotating it about the axis of the axle, said gearing including a ring gear attached to said drum and a driving pinion meshing with said gear, a latching pawl having a pair of spaced hook portions for separate engagement with the teeth of the pinion, said pawl being pivotally mounted on an axis parallel to the axis of said pinion, manually engageable means connected to the pawl for selectively moving either hook portion into and out of operative engagement with said pinion, means for releasably securing the latching pawl in a neutral intermediate position of adjustment with both hook portions positioned out of operative engagement with said pinion, said last mentioned means comprising a coiled tension spring having one leg connected to the frame and the other leg connected to said pawl, said legs being also biased apart in a direction parallel to the axis of the coil thereof, and seat means on the frame adapted to coact with one leg of the spring, said seat means being positioned so as to coact with and engage said one leg when the pawl assumes a neutral intermediate position of adjustment, said seat means comprising a groove for the reception of said one leg, and a pair of inclined cam surfaces at opposite sides of said groove.

5. In a winch, a frame having an axle mounted thereon, a rope drum mounted on said axle, gearing at one end of the drum for rotating it about the axis of the axle, said gearing including a ring gear attached to said drum and a driving pinion meshing with said gear, a latching pawl having a pair of spaced hook portions for separate engagement with the teeth of the pinion, said pawl being pivotally mounted on an axis parallel to the axis of said pinion, manually engageable means connected to the pawl for selectively moving either hook portion into and out of operative engagement with said pinion, means for releasably securing the latching pawl in a neutral intermediate position of adjustment with both hook portions positioned out of operative engagement with said pinion, said last mentioned means comprising a coiled tension spring having one leg connected to the frame and the other leg connected to said pawl, said legs being also biased apart in a direction parallel to the axis of the coil thereof, and seat means on the frame adapted to coact with one leg of the spring, said seat means being positioned so as to coact with and engage said one leg when the pawl assumes a neutral intermediate position of adjustment, said seat means comprising a groove for the reception of said one leg, and a pair of inclined cam surfaces at opposite sides of said groove, the free end portion of the leg of the spring connected to the pawl having a bent portion extending freely into an opening in the pawl and continuing into a terminal portion abutting against the edge of said opening at the side of the pawl opposite the main poltion of the spring.

6. In a winch, a frame having an axle mounted thereon, a rope drum mounted on said axle, gearing at one end of the drum for rotating it about the axis of the axle, said gearing including a ring gear attached to said drum and a driving pinion meshing with said gear, a latching pawl having a pair of spaced hook portions for separate engagement with the teeth of the pinion, said pawl being pivotally mounted on an axis parallel to the axis of said pinion, manually engageable means connected to the pawl for selectively moving either hook portion into and out of operative engagement with said pinion, means for releasably securing the latching pawl in a neutral intermediate position of adjustment with both hook portions positioned out of operative engagement with said pinion, said last mentioned means comprising a coiled tension spring having one leg connected to the frame and the other leg connected to said pawl, said legs being also biased apart in a direction parallel to the axis of the coil thereof, and seat means on the frame adapted to coact with one 'leg of the spring, said seat means being positioned so as to coact with and engage said one leg when the pawl assumes a neutral intermediate position of adjustment, said seat means comprising a groove for the reception of said one leg, and a pair of inclined cam surfaces at opposite sides of said groove, the free end portion of the leg of the spring connected to the pawl having a bent portion extending freely into an opening in the pawl and continuing into a terminal portion abutting against the edge of said opening at the side of the pawl opposite the main portion of the spring, the length of said bent portion being less than the thickness of the pawl at said opening.

7. In a winch, a frame having an axle mounted thereon, a rope drum mounted on said axle, gearing at one end of the drum for rotating it about the axis of the axle, said gearing including a ring gear attached to said drum and a driving pinion meshing with said gear, a

latching pawl having a pair of spaced hook portions for separate engagement with the teeth of the pinion, said pawl being pivotally mounted on the axis of the axle, manually engageable means connected to the pawl for seleotviely moving either hook portion into and out of operative engagement with said pinion, and means for releasably securing the latching pawl in a neutral intermediate position of adjustment with both hook portions positioned out of operative engagement with said pinion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hollmann Jan. 31, 1950 Riemann May 29, 1956 Wilkinson Oct. 29, 1957 Allin et al Aug. 5, 1958 Fulton June 23, 1959 Beebe June 21, 1960 

